Biz Circles Urge Immediate FTA Ratification

Business leaders urged the 17th National Assembly to immediately ratify Korea’s free-trade agreement with the United States in chorus.

“The import of U.S. beef and the FTA between Korea and the United States are separate matters,” Lee Hee-beom, president of the Korea International Trade Association, said in a press conference held at its headquarters in southern Seoul on Thursday.

“The lawmakers of the 17th National Assembly, who have watched all the process of the KORUS FTA negotiations and verified the outcomes of the negotiations through several hearings and debates, should ratify the agreement during this extraordinary parliamentary session,” he said.

The Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry also issued a written appeal that was signed by its 71 members, urging a speedy ratification of the FTA bill. The statement will be delivered to the Unification, Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee of the National Assembly on Friday.

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